


First Meetings

by Hinn_Raven



Series: Marsha Tabris [1]
Category: Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: First Meetings, Gen, Multiple Wardens (Dragon Age), Originally Posted on Tumblr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-06
Updated: 2015-11-06
Packaged: 2020-02-26 16:22:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18720682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hinn_Raven/pseuds/Hinn_Raven
Summary: Multiple Wardens starting their journey together.





	First Meetings

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to actually write for this verse, so here, have some Marsha meeting some people/general early game shit.

The first time Marsha met the Couslands, she was covered in blood.

She followed Warden Duncan numbly, fingers clutching at the tiny bag that held everything she owned in the world.

She was still wearing her wedding dress. She hadn’t really thought to change out of it as she’d hurried around her home, snatching up what few precious things she had. Her mother’s boots. The drawing Soris had made of her and her father. The bracelet Shiani had woven for her.

The dress had been the most expensive thing Marsha had ever seen, let alone owned. It probably even cost more than the wedding ring she’d taken from Nelaros’s body. It was made of white cotton, finer than normal cloth, and the collar was decorated with glass stones. The hem was embroidered with flowers and trees—a proper alienage wedding dress.

It was covered with blood. Even throwing on a chest piece over it halfway through the palace hadn’t saved it; she was covered from head to toe in the blood of the guardsmen and the arl.

The sword Duncan had given Soris was still strapped to her back. She hadn’t had time to clean it, either. She wondered, vaguely, if the human would want it back.

Outside the city were two humans. Marsha saw the quality of their armor, and it was enough to slow her steps, keeping Duncan between her and the two. Even if they were women, it wasn’t a comfort. Nobles.

“Marsha, these are Seren and Masha Cousland,” Duncan said, placing a hand on her shoulder. She flinched, but allowed it to remain. Her mother had known Duncan. Mother didn’t like many humans, so obviously Duncan couldn’t be all that bad. “I’m afraid we’ll be starting out very soon, so why don’t you get cleaned up? I’ll go find you some gear.” He wandered away, leaving Marsha with the two humans.

“There’s a stream over there,” the shorter one said, gesturing. Marsha hesitated, before nodding her thanks and heading over.

She scrubbed until her skin was pink and raw, and then turned around to put on the wedding dress again.

The shorter one—the one with longer hair, and no tattoo, was there, holding out a set of clothes that looked too big for Marsha, but better than the ruined dress.

“Here,” she said, offering them to Marsha. Marsha hesitated, before getting out of the water and taking the offered clothes.

“I’m Seren,” she said.

“Marsha,” she tugged the shirt over her head. “I’d say it’s nice to meet you, but it’s been a really long day so.”

A faint smile seemed to appear on Seren’s face. “I understand that feeling,” she muttered.

The second Cousland appeared. “Duncan thinks these should fit you,” she offered.

Marsha glanced through the armor offered. Leather, all of it, mismatched but sturdy, built for a human, but a small human, someone even smaller than Seren. It would do.

“Do you normally fight with only one weapon?” Masha was examining the sword that Duncan had lent Marsha critically.

“I only had one,” Marsha said, eyeing the two swords strapped to the noble’s back with a touch of envy as she struggled with the clasps and buckles of her armor. “And elves aren’t supposed to have weapons in cities.”

“Not at all?” The two spoke in tangent, and Marsha glanced at them, curious.

“Nope,” she said, finally putting on the strange helmet that Masha had provided. She glanced at them, picking up her sword.

“What about your dress?” Seren asked, looking at the pile of clothes.

Marsha didn’t look at it, even though the wedding ring lay heavy in the pocket of her new clothes. “Leave it.”

* * *

When Krim joined them, he was splattered with blood as well. A light smattering of it only, which was unusual. He also, apparently, hadn’t even realized it, worried Marsha.

He also seemed to be unlikely to shut up, once he’d started going. Marsha hadn’t known that much about Grey Wardens; their legends weren’t very popular in the alienage.

Now, thanks to Krim, she knew more than she necessarily wanted to know.

He’d also tried to start their campfire by striking it with  _lightning_.

Marsha swatted him. “Use the tinderbox like a  _normal_ person!” She snapped.

He grinned at her recklessly, and Marsha realized that she’d sounded like her father for a moment. “But I wanted to see if I could do it! And I could, see!”

The fire was indeed blazing. And all of Marsha’s braids were standing on end.

“I’m going to feed you to Darkspawn,” she informed him.

“Darkspawn don’t actually eat—” Marsha threw a clod of dirt at him.

“Shut up and wipe that blood off your face.”

Marsha decided, after a long moment, that if all mages were like Krim Amell, she was surprised that the world hadn’t been destroyed yet.

* * *

Lira Brosca was the last one to be recruited, and she too, was covered in blood. According to Duncan, she’d seen quite a bit of fighting before he’d pulled her out of Orzammar.

Marsha recognized the look of her, and brightened up considerably. Sure she wasn’t an elf, but she also wasn’t human. Not only that, but she had the familiar feel of someone who knew hunger in a way that the nobles and the mage didn’t.

She carried a sword and shield, and wore a whistle around her neck. Marsha wondered what that was for, until she started moving her hands.

Duncan grinned at them all in that jovial way of his. “She says it’s nice to meet you,” he informed them all.

Marsha wondered if that was true, if Lira’s recruitment had been anything like the rest of theirs.

Marsha made a mental note to herself to figure out sign language, and soon. She like Duncan well enough, but she doubted he’d tell them everything Lira had to say.

* * *

When they got to Ostagar, Duncan basically ditched them to do Warden-y things. Seren trotted off to find that Warden Alistair, while Masha made a beeline for the quartermaster. Krim seemed to have spotted a fellow mage, and was eagerly talking to her.

That left Marsha and Lira to get into trouble.

“Watch where you’re going, knife-ear!” One of the soldiers snapped at her as he nearly ran into them. Marsha’s eyes narrowed. With a twist of her hand she liberated the man of his purse.

“Three silvers—pathetic,” she complained to Lira, who frowned at her, shaking her head.

“What? You worried about—trouble?” Lira nodded. “I’ll be fine. Humans can never tell one elf from another. You don’t have to if you don’t want, though. Not enough dwarfs for anonymity.”

Lira tapped her eyes.

“You want to spot for me?” Marsha guessed. Lira nodded again, clearly pleased. They were still working on actual sign-language, but they were getting better at communicating. “Alright. Pick a target.”

When they made their way back to the fire, Marsha had made a tidy pile for herself and Lira. After some thought, she’d set aside a few coins for Krim too—he probably didn’t have any money either.

“I hope you didn’t get into trouble,” Duncan eyed her with a knowing look.

“I only went for the rude ones, I promise,” Marsha grinned at him.

He sighed. “You’re just like your mother.” Marsha’s grin widened. He might not have meant it that way, but it was the highest compliment that he could possibly have given her.

She nearly jumped as a male human brushed up next to her. Her eyes narrowed.

“Those of you who haven’t met him, this is Alistair,” Duncan introduced the human. Marsha frowned. More humans. Why was this her life? She’d barely seen any other elves since leaving Denerim.

She touched the ring inside her pocket, trying to calm her thoughts. It would be okay. They’d go get that fucking darkspawn blood, she’d get the flower for that nice human with the dog, and then…

She’d figure it out from there.

* * *

Lothering was a shit town, but there was coin to be made here. Alistair, Morrigan, and Seren went off to hunt bandits in the surrounding area, leaving Krim, Marsha, Lira and Masha to run errands for the Chantry and buy supplies.

Marsha suggested that Krim and Masha go check out the inn and see if they could find rooms for the night, while she and Lira made traps for the girl who was willing to play decent money for them.

It wasn’t until they heard the sound of fighting emerging from the tavern that Marsha and Lira realized what a mistake they had made.

Jumping to their feet, they ran towards the tavern. Marsha threw open the doors, and groaned. Lira buried her face in her hands next to her.

Krimm was standing on a table, shouting incoherently as lightning blazed from his hands. Masha was fighting three men at once, while a slender red-haired woman in Chantry robes fought with small knives.

Marsha, not needing any prompting, drew her daggers and threw herself into the fight.

Later, when they trudged out of the tavern with a new companion, they nearly ran into Seren.

“What happened?” Seren demanded.

“Masha and I started a barfight!” Krim grinned.

“Loghain’s sent bounty-hunters after us,” Masha informed Seren.

“We made a mistake,” Marsha admitted.

“Wait, you left Krim and Masha alone?” Seren asked Marsha and Lira, incredulous.

“Like I said. A mistake. But we also met a very nice and possibly crazy Chantry lady who can stab people, so I say it was a mixed bag.”

“Hey!” Leliana protested.

Lira made a series of gestures that, without Morrigan present, they couldn’t translate, but Marsha hedged a guess. “What about you?” Lira waved her hand, indicating that Marsha had been close enough.

“We recruited a Qunari.”

Marsha stared at her. “The one that was supposed to have killed all the people?”

“Yes.”

“Wonderful.” Marsha decided she could ask what a Qunari actually  _was_ some other time. “Shall we get out of this town before they drive us away with torches and pitchforks?”

“I doubt they’d actually waste the resources—” Masha elbowed Krim in the ribs, effectively silencing him.

“Let’s go,” Seren agreed


End file.
